The Gold Coast is a popular holiday destination in Queensland, with pretty beaches, theme parks, and lots of surfing opportunities. But head out of town into the hinterland and you’ll feel like you’re in another world! I spent a few days exploring Springbrook National Park and Lamington National Park in Australia’s Gold Coast Hinterland – I had the best time! This is a fantastic area to explore and there are so many great hikes here. Here’s what you need to know about visiting these two national parks!
How to Get to Springbrook and Lamington National Parks
You’ll need a car to get to these national parks. There is no public transport available, although there are tours from Gold Coast or Brisbane that you can join. The road to the Green Mountains part of Lamington National Park is extreme: 35km of narrow, winding roads, hairpin bends, and blind corners. There’s no way to rush this road, so take your time. You’ll certainly feel relieved once you’re at O’Reilly’s and parked up! Interested in a tour? Check out the options that visit Springbrook and Lamington below!
The Best Hikes in Springbrook National Park
You’ll want at least one full day in Springbrook National Park. If you’re a big hiker, give yourself at least 1.5 days or 2 full days. These are the best hikes in Springbrook!
Warrie Circuit, including Twin Falls
This route was unfortunately closed due to treefall the day before I visited, so I couldn’t complete the loop! But give yourself a full day if you’re planning on doing this hike. Start from Canyon Lookout car park or Tallanbana car park. Be mindful of creek crossings, as water levels may rise after heavy rainfall. Only cross if it’s safe to do so!
Distance: 14km
Time: 5-6 hours
Twin Falls
This is a stunning waterfall in Springbrook National Park. You can even swim here if you’re wanting to go for a dip! The trail is easy to follow, descending down to the base of the falls and then back up again. If you’re visiting the Gold Coast Hinterland, you can’t miss it!
Distance: 4km
Time: 2 hours
Best of All Lookout
This isn’t really a hike, but more of a short walk to the lookout. But don’t miss it when visiting Springbrook! The views are really beautiful.
Distance: 850 meters
Time: 15 minutes
Purling Brook Falls & Warringa Pool
This is a fantastic medium-difficulty hike in Springbrook National Park. Do this walk in a clockwise direction, otherwise you’ll have several hundred stairs to climb up at the end! Head down into the gorge to the base of Purling Brook Falls. Take the detour into the bush to see Warringa Pool, a pretty pool formed by the creek. Just as a warning, I saw my first ever snake in the wild here!! It was a carpet python, so it wasn’t venomous. But be aware of snakes on the path as I nearly stepped on it!
Distance: 8km
Time: 2.5 hours
The Best Hikes in Lamington National Park
Hikers will want at least 1.5 days, if not 2 days, in Lamington National Park. There are two sections here, Binna Burra and the Green Mountains. I spent most of my time in Lamington National Park in the Green Mountains section!
Toolona Creek Circuit
If you’re up for a challenging full-day hike, this is a fantastic one. Be warned though, it’s nearly 20km, and the maps aren’t necessarily drawn to scale. I spent a lot more time hiking to the intersection with the Border Track, then on the loop back to O’Reilly’s. You’ll pass so many gorgeous waterfalls – Chalahn Falls was easily my favorite. You’ll see Elbana Falls at the beginning of the walk, too. I was exhausted at the end, but it was such a great hike!
Distance: 19.5km
Time: 5.5 hours
Moran Falls
This is a relatively short walk, winding down on gentle switchbacks to see Moran Falls. The first viewpoint is good, but I recommend crossing the stream and seeing the lookout from the other side of the waterfall, too. You can park at the large Green Mountains day use area, or there are a few spaces available just outside the start of the trail (a couple hundred meters closer).
Distance: 4.4km
Time: 1 hour
Python Rock Track
While I found this walk fairly underwhelming, there are some great views over the valley and mountains at the end. So, it makes this list for the lookout! The trail is easy and relatively flat – you can start at the same car park as Moran Falls.
Distance: 3km
Time: 45 minutes
Tree Top Walk
A perfect all-ages adventure, the Tree Top Walk is a series of connected suspensions bridges high off the forest grounds. At some points, it’s over 16 meters above the ground! It’s not scary though, and the bridges are a one-way system so you don’t have too much traffic. Go early in the morning or late afternoon and you might just have it all to yourself!
Distance: 800 meters
Time: 15 minutes
Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk
If you’re up for a real challenge, why not tackle the Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk? I would have loved to do this multi-day trek! The trail connects Lamington National Park with Springbrook National Park – a lot of it follows the New South Wales/Queensland border. There are no facilities on the way, you’ll need to carry all your own camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, cooking gear, all food, etc) and you’ll need to book your campsites in advance. This is an advanced walk, and you should have paper maps and a compass (and know how to use it). Most people start from the Green Mountains section of Lamington, and walk to the end in Springbrook.
Distance: 54km
Time: 3 days
Where to Stay in Springbrook and Lamington National Parks
I really recommend staying overnight if you’re visiting this part of the Gold Coast Hinterland. You definitely don’t want to be driving the switchbacks on the road to Lamington more than you need to! I camped for two nights here.
Springbrook: The Settlement Camping Area
This is a basic campsite run by Queensland National Parks, and the only campsite in Springbrook that’s accessible by road – the others are walk-in campsites. The toilets were basic and you’ll need to bring your own drinking water. But for $7.25 per person, per night, it’s a very affordable budget option! They do get booked up on the weekends, so make sure to book well in advance if you’re planning to visit on a Friday/Saturday night.
O’Reilly’s in the Green Mountains Section of Lamington National Park
Unfortunately, there are literally no other camping options in the Green Mountains area of Lamington. O’Reilly’s has a clear monopoly on the area, which the national park has clearly condoned, and therefore they charge what they like. For camping options, paying $50 for one person for one night, for a campervan spot on an extremely sloped and uneven narrow slab of gravel, felt like daylight robbery. Tent pitches were slightly cheaper. As there’s nowhere else to stay in the area, I didn’t have any other option. That being said, the sunset view was amazing and the bathrooms were spotless. Maybe it’s best to splurge and stay in one of their safari tents, to get better value for money.
Not interested in camping? Here are a few options in the area – most are apartments and chalets!
- Springbrook Mountain Chalets (Springbrook)
- Springbrook Lyrebird Retreat (Springbrook)
- The Mouses House Rainforest Retreat (Springbrook)
- Beechmont Estate (Lamington, Binna Burra section)
- La Dolce Vita (Lamington, Binna Burra section)
- Binna Burra Sky Lodges (Lamington, Binna Burra section)
- Greenlee Cottages (Lamington, towards Green Mountains section)
Planning Your Trip to Springbrook and Lamington National Parks
The closest airport for the national parks is Gold Coast airport. I always use Skyscanner to find the best flight deals. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.
The Gold Coast Hinterland is an amazing area, especially for hikers and outdoor lovers! Springbrook and Lamington National Parks should be on any bucket list, whether you’re exploring Gold Coast or doing a longer road trip up the East Coast of Australia like me. I hope this post helps planning your hikes around Springbrook and Lamington!
Have you visited Springbrook and Lamington National Parks?
You might also like my posts:
The Best Hikes in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales
Exploring the Waterfall Way: Bellingen to Wollomombi, New South Wales
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How to Visit North Stradbroke Island (Without a Car!)
How to Get a Work & Holiday Visa (WHV 462) for Australia in 2023
Moving to Oz on a Working Holiday Visa: How to Start Your Life in Australia
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All my Australia posts!
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